Abolesco
by theoceaninside
Summary: Abolesco (v.) The Latin word for 'vanish'. In the aftermath of the prison attack Daryl Dixon finds himself burdened with untrained teenager Beth Greene. The two search in the hope to find more survivors, but they are pulled into finding more and more about each other and ultimately themselves.
1. A burden

"Beth, come on, we gotta go!" She recognised that drawl, to many people their accents sounded the same, but he definitely had more of a twang on his words which were accompanied by a gruff voice. Daryl's voice. Despite the chaos around her, she managed to hear him over the screams of children crying for their mothers, she managed to hear him over the rapid gunfire that she was certain came from both sides of the battle and she could hear him over the incessent moaning of the undead that she knew would be coming for her sooner rather than later.

The air felt thick, as though the sun had poured its heat into the atmosphere around her and was trying to choke her. Beth looked up and saw him, Daryl standing over her, and as thankful as she was, she didn't know why he was standing over her ... Over her and not Carl or Rick. She went to stand but the world spun beneath her feet and she stopped. The only thing that actually got her moving in the end was the rough hand that gripped her forearm. Had this been any other time she probably would have argued or perhaps even fought back against him, but this grip seemed urgent, almost like he actually wanted to get her out and not just do her a favour.

Beth watched the crossbow on Daryl's back bob to his movements ... How easy it would have been for him to shoot the Governor before he killed her Father. Try as she might, she knew she couldn't blame Daryl of all people, as if any of this had been his fault. If anything Daryl was the only one who had ever done a damned thing for her family besides perhaps Rick. "You wanna get eaten?" Daryl glanced over his shoulder and it was only then Beth realised he was holding a gun instead of the crossbow he loved, _stupid, _she thought, _you were watching that crossbow not five minutes ago! _Daryl seemed to notice her silence and instead of demanding an answer he simply pulled her ahead of him and kept her moving.

_You're a fuckin' fool, Daryl Dixon. _Daryl cursed himself silently as he shoved little doe eyes in front of him. What was he thinking? Grabbing her on his way out? Maggie would have found her, he was certain of that. Maybe it was because he was genuinely fond of the kid. She'd done a damned fine job looking after Lil Ass Kicker. Singing to her every night, making sure she got enough food, enough warmth, enough love. Thinking about Beth's maternal instincts somehow reminded him of his Mother, well, what he could remember of her anyway. He wondered if she had ever sang to him, made sure he was well fed. Obviously not if he knew how to skin an animal by the time he was five, or maybe that was from growing up with Merle. He could never be certain anymore. His thoughts of Merle were interrupted when he was dragged from his reverie by a walker stumbling close by. "Stay close now, Blondie." He murmered just loud enough for her to hear before putting an arrow straight between its eyes, suddenly grateful for the fact he swapped his gun for his crossbow, he extracting a small breath from the girl beside him. How old was she now ...? 17? 18? Fuck it, what did it matter? Carl was 12 and he could shoot a walker dead on without even batting an eyelid, but her...? Well, it would take some work.

They walked on for an hour or so, until he was certain they were away from that prison. He was sad to see it go, that was the first place in a long time that felt like home. _What are you, Darlena? A pussy? _He knew the thought was from him, but it seemed his internal dialouge was always in Merle's voice "We'll stop here tonight." He stood, surveying the area around the both of them, it was a dense thicket of wood that reminded Daryl of his life before everything went to shit. Not that it was a good life.

"Okay, you want me to help with anythin'?" Beth said, sounding a lot stronger than Daryl would ever have given her credit for, though he noticed her accent was more pronounced around him, maybe it was because his accent was stronger. It was strange to him he noticed that of all things, the girl had just lost her father, shouldn't he be searching her eyes in some half assed attempt to understand what she was going through? Empathy wasn't something that came naturally to Daryl, and he didn't really want to change that. _Why 'aint she cryin'?_ He thought to himself, _Why 'aint she screamin' and kickin' tryin' to find her way back to Maggie? _He almost asked her this aloud, but what was the point? He didn't actually _want _her to start crying on him, fuck that.

Beth knew that he thought she was still a kid, she saw it in the way he shoved her behind him when that walker came lumbering out of the woods. She was certain she saw it first, though she could never be sure when it came to Daryl. She'd never really spoken to him except when she needed him to get baby formula for Judith. Judith ... The thought of the baby being left on her own at that prison sent Beth's insides cold. _Rick went back to get her._ She decided, but even she wasn't so convinced. "N'aw." Daryl replied whilst fiddling with his crossbow.

Beth watched his shoulders tense and she knelt beside him. "Are you okay?" She didn't really know why she was asking him, of course he was okay he was Daryl Dixon.

"Is that a serious question?" He frowned at her, as though confused by the question. She shrugged, looked away and stood up, wiping off the dirt from the knees of her trousers she decided to have a little bit of a scavenge.

"Hey, hey! Don't you be going too far now." Daryl clicked his fingers at her which only infurtiated her more. Beth had only ever been polite to him when they'd been at the prison, and even then he was awkward around her as though she was going to break or something, but now he was bossing her about and acting as though she was a burden to him. Again, had this been months ago she would have nodded and sat down, but she'd had one _hell_ of a day and she wasn't putting up with his bullshit.

"Have I offended you or somethin'?" She turned to face him, hands on her hips. She got a small sense of satisfaction from seeing his eyes widen slightly in surprise, but that sense of victory quickly dwindled when he stood up and his eyes narrowed.

"You say somethin' Blondie?" He strode towards her and Beth could only step backwards, only glancing behind her to make sure she didn't trip, but he was walking faster than she could and she inevitably hit the floor.

Daryl nodded once as though to say _That's what I thought, bitch. _He turned, walking away when he heard rustling, as he turned he felt a shove. _The fuck?_ He whirled around instinctively went to shove her back, before realising who she was and how much stronger he was than her. He wasn't even considering what happened to Herschel, he just knew that this was so out of character for Beth. _Shut up, Daryl. You don't know nothin' about her._

"I just lost my Dad!" Another shove. Clearly raising his hand to shove her back wasn't frightening for her and for some sick reason he felt angry by that. _You 'aint like that anymore, you 'aint like that!_ He hadn't even taken in what she just said, he was too absorbed in his battling conscience, maybe if he had paid attention he'd notice that Beth had stormed off further into the forest armed with nothing but a small knife she didn't even know how to use properly.

He couldn't take his eyes off that girl for two minutes before she was causing trouble. _And I thought she was one of the quiet, sweet ones._ He sighed and took off after her. He wasn't overly worried about her just yet, she wouldn't have gone far and by the detailed mark in her prints she was angry, meaning she'd calm down soon.

His thoughts flickered back to the way he had acted around her. He had noticed the smooth curve of her shoulders and the thin strap of fabric that belonged to her vest, the few stray hairs she hadn't managed to fit into her ponytail rested against the back of her neck as she had glanced behind herself to make sure she didn't trip up. He shook his head slightly and kept his focus on the tracks.

"Beth!" He whispered harshly. _The girl 'aint comin' to you if you speak like that._ He cleared his throat and tried again. "Beth...?" He nodded once in approval, and it seemed to work for Beth came out from behind the tree she'd be standing against. Had she been _hiding_ from him?

"I'm sorry for shovin' you." Was all she said as she stroked her arm with the opposite hand and glanced at the floor.

"'Aint no problem." Daryl nodded in response and motioned for her to follow him back to their set up.

_Daryl is a good man._ Beth thought to herself that night as she rested her head on her arm in an attempt to get some sleep, but she was entranced by Daryl skinning a squirrel he'd found earlier on. Beth also noticed that Daryl actually had muscle in his arms as she watched him picking apart the dead animal, she knew they had to do this sort of thing to survive now, but it didn't mean she liked it. He must have seen her watching as he suddenly cocked his head to look at her.

"You enjoyin' this?" He asked her and she just shrugged in response as she sat up.

"Daryl ...?" Beth began cautiously. She thought she detected a hint of annoyance in his face, but he nodded once as he continued with their dinner. "You think anyone else got out?" She wrapped her arms around her legs and rested her chin atop her knees.

"Ain't no one got out." He shook his head slightly and his eyes flickered to hers.

"How do you know that?" Her voiced raised slightly and he whispered a harsh _sh!_ to get her to shut up. "There's no way you can know that." She began again and realised too late that this might be a sensitive subject for him as well as her.

"I'm tellin' you, Blondie. 'Aint no way they got outta there."

When he was sure Beth was asleep, Daryl sat up and put his head in his hands.

_Come on now, Darlena. Run while you still gotta chance._ Merle's voice had taken over the voice in his head when he died and Daryl supposed it was just his way of coping. That didn't mean he liked it.

"Shuddup, I 'aint leavin' her here." He mumbled softly and closed his eyes.

_Why not? She 'aint anythin' t'you. _

"Shuddup Merle." The tone of his voice was harsh, he'd never speak to Merle like this when he was younger, but then again he wasn't actually talking to Merle. "I owe her Daddy."

_You don't owe her shit. _

"I didn't say her, I said I owe her Daddy."

_You're a pussy, Darlena._

The thing he hated most about Merle being dead was Merle still being able to win arguments.

**AN - Okay, so I've recently been rewatching TWD and these two have been stuck in my head ever since I first saw Season 4 and man, I love these guys. This will be my first fic I ever finish, I'll try to update when I can. I'm still **_**really**_** new to this so my apologies! I have a lot of free time on my hands at the minute, so don't be surprised if there's something stupid like four chapters in one day! Obviously I'm not a perfect writer, not even close, so constructive criticism is welcome! Although I check my work three of four times, I'm certain there's going to be a great deal of typos due to my computer having no spell check, which is the bane of my life.**

**Anyway, I hope you enjoy this!**


	2. Never have I ever

**AN - I only just realised after previewing chapter one that I used dashes to show when there was a switch in PoV. I'll actually write which POV I'm writing from from now on.**

**As I write this I haven't had any reviews but I've had a few favourites and follows so it inspired me to write some more. Told you there'd probably be more than one chapter in a day!**

**Enjoy!**

**Beth's POV**

She was awoken the next morning by small drops of rain splashing off of her forehead. _Great._ was her only thought as she sat up and winced, she had the worst headache in the world she'd ask her Father for- The events of yesterday hit her all at once and she felt as though she was going to be sick so she hurried to the edge of the camp and let herself throw up.

"You're a messy son of a bitch, you know that?" She heard Daryl drawl as she felt his hand hold her hair from her face. In her peripheral vision she saw he was leant against the tree she was standing next to, eyes scanning his surroundings.

Only after she'd stopped being sick did she realise how nice it felt to have Daryl's hand in her hair, she felt her cheeks burn red.

"You alright, Blondie?" Daryl must have noticed her blush, she nodded in response. "Think we'll start movin' today." Beth watched as he looked up at the forest canopy above them. "'Aint no way of knowin' when them walkers will be headin' this way." He looked back at her and she nodded slightly.

"That sounds like a good idea." She nodded slowly and picked up her knife which was laying next to the ground where she had slept.

"It's a good idea, that's why I said i-" Beth looked over at Daryl and swallowed hard. "You left your knife? Should have it on you at all times." The joke they might have shared was cut short and he went back to brooding.

"I'm sorry, I just ... It won't happen again." The words tumbled out of her mouth before she had even thought about it and it was only then that she realised that she was actually trying to _impress _Daryl Dixon.

He just nodded in reply and she sat down, deflated.

**Daryl's POV**

He wasn't entirely sure why he had held back her hair, probably wanted her to feel more comfortable around him. Her milky skin was gentle to touch and he actually had to fight the impulse to soothingly rub his thumb across the nape of her neck.

_A minor? Well baby brother, you never fail to impress me._

He narrowed his eyes, tightened his grip around his crossbow and motioned to Beth.

"C'mon, we're movin' out."

She complied and they walked for a few hours. He was glad the animosity from yesterday had pretty much disappeared, maybe he should have just let her shout at him or something. He was thankful he could read people as well as he could when it came to Beth, he'd learnt to recognise tension and anger from tiptoing around his Father when he was younger, but he didn't want to think about that now. He could tell Beth was upset from her tensed shoulders and clenched fists, he didn't want her flipping out anytime soon.

"Hey, where you think you're goin'?" Beth had started to wander off to the right, deeper into the forest, towards a walker.

He hesitated, not like she wasn't unarmed but at the same time she didn't properly know how to use it. He followed slowly, crossbow aimed incase she somehow couldn't take it down on her own, it wouldn't surprise him.

**Beth's POV**

By the time Daryl had actually found her she was panting over the now dead walker. Its head was all mush and her knife was covered in blood and gore from the predator, but she had continued to stab until there was only decayed slime.

"Feels good, don't it?" Daryl said quietly and she nodded slowly, still looking at the walker. Her body had finall allowed her the luxury of mving so she slowly turned to look at him and was surprised to see he was sat cross legged staring intently at her.

"Who was your first walker?" She said softly and cautiously sat opposite to him. She was vaguely aware of the blood and mess that stained her hands, almost to the elbows, but she wasn't all that bothered.

She was staring at the ground, as though ashamed to look at him, when he began.

"It was ... During in one of the first outbreaks." He licked his lips as though finding the words to say. "Merle an' me ... Well we weren' doin' some good things back in that time. He was bein' released from prison for the 101th time or somethin' stupid. Anyways, I turn up to the prison an' there's Merle, shoutin' and hollerin' I swore he was havin' the best time of his life. Probably because he knew he could kill these things without bein' sent back in. Not that Merle was a killer- Anyways, as I was sayin' he was shoutin' and hollerin' and this was the first time I saw the walkers. An' if I'm honest I wanted to drive away, leave his sorry ass in that jail courtyard. But I didn't because he's my brother." Beth felt that he had to keep reminding her that the only reason he kept saying 'my brother' was because she wouldn't understand why he'd help someone like him if that wasn't the case. "I walked into that courtyard, didn't even bring my crossbow with me." She saw him tighten his grip around his crossbow protectively. "Merle had these two knives on him, so he throws me one and ... We just started killin'." He looked at Beth and she nodded waiting for him to continue.

"You didn't know the walkers?" She said softly, motioning her head to the walker she had just butchered.

"N'aw. That's not the point. The point is that I didn't wanna remember them." As she turned back she realised he was watching her, maybe waiting for her to run away, she wasn't entirely sure.

They sat in silence for a few minutes, it wasn't uncomfortable at all, much to her surprise.

"Come on, we'll try and find shelter and then get you something to clean yourself with." Beth frowned at the words before realising the mess on her arms.

"Sure thing." She replied and followed in his step.

**Daryl's POV**

They'd been walking no more than thirty minutes or so when he heard screaming from the right side of him and he automatically assumed it was Beth, he raised his crossbow frowned when he realised she looked just as alarmed as him. Without giving a warning, she sprinted off towards the noise.

_You got your work cut out for you, baby brother._

"Shuddup, Merle ..." He mumbled as he sprinted after the golden haired teenager.

_She's a lot faster than she looks ..._ Daryl was thankful that finally some of his thoughts were actually his thoughts and not Merle's. _You're not as young as you once were, either._ He grimaced, maybe Merle's thoughts were better. When he caught up with Beth she was staring at the walkers that were ambling towards her. With a roll of his eyes, Daryl took them out in quick succession, but it seemed as though the walkers didn't bother Beth as she ran towards the half eaten bodies. He could see them from where he was standing, their brain matter was splashed across the ground like a child's painting, and it actually shocked him Beth could stomach it.

"It's no one we know ..." She turned to face him, he couldn't tell if she was happy or sad by this, but either way she was crying. He stood a few seconds, watching her face glisten from the tear tracks that fell from her watery blue eyes.

_Oh fuck. _He was angry at himself for not even wanting to get closer to her and comfort her and for some reason his anger found it's way back to his Father, but at this present moment Daryl refused to think of him. He just wanted to get away from her, but at the same time there was no way on the planet he was going to just leave her. He grabbed her arm and hauled her up.

"Get _off_ of me!" She screamed and shoved him. Again. God, he was getting so pissed off with her shoving him.

He still didn't let go, so she went to hit him. He wasn't sure where she was aiming for but he grabbed her wrist before she even came close to contacting him. _Hm, getting too old my ass. _And then she just leant against him into something Daryl was quite sure was a hug, but his anger was still there. She had just tried to him him, he wasn't gonna play happy families after that, so he just stood there and let her hug him.

"We gotta move. Now." He waved his hand at the walkers that made their way towards them and Beth slowly moved her head to see them.

"We gotta find the rest of the group, Daryl." She looked at him, feet rooted firmly to the floor.

"Beth, goddamit, we're leavin', _now!_" He tugged at her arm, yet she still stood her ground with her fists clenched.

"I'm not goin' anywhere until you decide we look for the group!" Her voice was almost a hiss, he hadn't realised how much she cared about finding the group, but then he remembered Merle going missing and how angry he had been.

"Alright! Alright, fine!" His arms flew out in exasperation and only then did she begin moving.

**Beth's POV**

That night the two of them found a house that was almost as small as a shed, but Beth liked the crooked rooftop and the grimey windows it showcased. Reminded her of Jimmy's old shed back home, where the two of them would escape and share stolen kisses. As Beth recalled, it was also the place where she let Jimmy take off her shirt for the first time. She smiled softly at the memory and made her way into the small house after Daryl made sure it was a suitable shelter.

"Hey, Blondie," She was surprised that Daryl was talking to her again, she never knew where she stood with that man; a prospect that both filled her with anxiety and curiosity. "You ever been drunk?"

"What, with a Daddy like mine?" She began to laugh, but the wound was still fresh and her heart still ached so she slowly and silently sat on the floor, withdrawing herself from the conversation.

"Well then, I suggest you try it." Daryl was insistent on keeping her with him, it seemed.

Alcohol had always been something that had intrigued Beth. Her friends were always talking about sneaking into their parents' liqour cupboards and taking a swig of the strongest substance they could find, but Beth had never had that luxury. Not with a Father like Herschel. Even so, she looked up as Daryl sat down opposite her and offered her the bottle. As she reached out for the bottle her hand shook, but she took solace in the fact that even a redneck like Daryl had the manners not to say something.

"Wait." She said, as she held the bottle in one hand, reading the label.

"What?" Daryl frowned. His head was cocked to the left slightly in inquisition as though he was trying to understand what she just said.

"Can we play 'Never have I ever'?" Her eyes glistened and her speech became slightly louder in excitement. "All my friends had played it before, except me. If you're gonna be the first person I have a drink with, you're gonna be the first person I play a drinking game with."

Beth watched him roll his eyes at her 'teenage antics' and just waved a hand tiredly for her to go on, so she set the bottle down in the floor space between them.

"You know how to play?" She grinned at him. The fingers of excitement had gripped every fibre of her being and she was itching to play.

"Like fuck do I know how to play."

"Okay, so. We both say a personal statement then if you've done it, you drink."

"Alright. You first, Blondie."

Beth settled herself and wrung her fingers as she thought of her statement.

"Never have I ever owned a motorcycle." She grinned, waiting for Daryl to take a swig. He didn't.

"Why aren't you drinkin'?" She frowned slightly and folded her arms, she didn't even realise her head was tilted like his was just a few minutes ago.

"It weren't ever mine. It was Merle's." Was his response, Beth cuaght the glint in his eyes, as if he dared her to challenge him.

"But Merle's dead so technically-"

"It was Merle's." Daryl's voice became a lot depper, gruffer. She was sure that if his voice had been an object it would have been barbed wire, and at this instant she felt as though it had curled itself around her.

"Okay, fine ..." She widened her eyes in annoyance, as though to brush off the disagreement. "Never have I ever had a tattoo." She grinned.

"I got a few," Daryl said as he took a sip out of the bottle. He wiped his mouth and showed her his bicep. "I got others, but they 'aint in savoury places."

She nodded slightly and sat back, waiting for him to say his statement.

"Never have I ever had a detention at school." Daryl actually gave a hint of a smirk as he streteched out his legs and crossed his left foot over his right.

"You've never had a detention?" Beth didn't drink, but she raised her eyebrows incredulously at him.

"I didn't turn up to school enough to get one." This time he actually _did_ smirk, and Beth swore he winked at her. It sent a warm feeling in the pit of her stomach.

"Alright. Never have I ever saved someone's life." She said somewhat sadly. Beth wanted to be known like Maggie; saving the group on multiple occasions.

"Never have I ever been to a music concert." Her jaw dropped.

"You haven't?" Her eyes widened. He seemed like the sort of man who would show up to every AC/DC concert around and bring home a different girl every night.

"Drink up, Blondie."

So she did. The liquid tasted like acid, but she didn't want to spit it out infront of Daryl so she swallowed and grinned at him.

The game went on for about another ten minutes and Beth was starting to get the feeling that Daryl was saying some things on purpose to get her to drink, the alchol had started to get to her head as she began trying to test the water.

"Never have I ever had sex."

The room that was full of laughing before fell silent. Beth knew that he wasn't really a ladies man, but could get someone if he wanted, look at him and Carol. They basically lived in each other's pockets. It was easier to admit she was somewhat jealous of this fact when she was drunk and it was definitely to ask the question she just had when she was drunk.

Daryl drank and her stomach twisted 400 times over. Here she, Beth Greene, was with a man practically double her age! Her friends would have been so jealous. Beth could picture their reactions so well she actually giggled out loud.

"Somethin' funny, Blondie?"

"Nothin' ... Say, I'm kinda tired. Think I could get some sleep?"

"Be my guest." While Daryl put the lid on the bottle and set it aside, Beth layed down on the surprisingly comfortable floor.

**Daryl's POV**

Daryl had just managed to get Merle to shut up and was slowly drifting to sleep when...

"Daryl?"

"For the love of all money, what?" He groaned and rubbed his temples to demonstrate his annoyance to her.

She didn't even answer, all she did was shuffle closer to him and lay with her back against his chest.

"I'm cold."

"What you want me to do 'bout it?"

"I want you to keep me warm." His arm was lifted and she tucked it around her waist. Daryl could see her pale skin in the moonlight ... It cast a glow across the teenager that made his skin cold.

_Teenager. Remember that, baby brother._

Maybe being so drunk was what made it easier to block out Merle and actually go to sleep, or maybe it was the sleeping girl in his arms who he was syncing his breathing with.

And deep in his heart, Daryl knew the answer.


	3. You 'aint shit

**Daryl**

He jolted awake in the middle of the night, frowning as his arm caught on something. He tried to tug his arm free before realising that it was actually Beth beside him. _Oh shit. _His mind swirled and he began to feel sick. He wasn't Merle, he didn't do these kinds of things ...

_You didn't do anythin' with her, dummy._

It seemed that in that moment Merle was the voice of clarity as his memories from earlier on in the night seeped back into his drunken brain. _No, we didn't do nothin'. _But he woke up assuming they had; so what did that mean? Daryl gently pulled his arm from underneath the blonde beside him. _She's cute when she's sleepin'. _

Despite panicking about what they had or had not done the night before, as the memories became clearer, he remembered that he had actually _enjoyed_ himself around her. She made him laugh, even when she wasn't trying. No one ever made Daryl laugh, except maybe Rick and Carl. As soon as their faces flashed into his mind he felt a pang that felt a lot like sadness. A sadness he hadn't felt since he had to put down Merle. _This is why you don't get close to people. _He was thankful the voice in his head was his own at the moment, because he knew he was right, if he got close to Beth she would die just like Merle, Rick, Carl, Carol ...

He couldn't possibly see how Carol could be alive. Yes, he was fond of her, despite being so different the two had clicked and he supposed it had something to do with the fact that she had been vulnerable and he had been the hero, and they stuck together. He wasn't attracted to Carol though, try as he might, and oh he had tried. He'd tried back in the prison when she told him that she was in love with him and he had wanted to love her back, be ... Normal? But no, that wasn't the way the Dixon brothers were, there was always a complication in the process.

Beth was somewhat different. He felt protective of her, yet wanted to throttle her at the same time. He wanted to- No use dwelling on the things he wanted to do to her, it was never going to happen, he didn't _want_ it to happen. Daryl wondered where this had all come from; a moment ago he was threatening to leave her with walkers and now he wanted to protect her from harm? _Alcohol. That or you 'aint been laid since ... Well, since the dead started walkin'. _

A few moments later he heard the familiar sound of Beth's movements, and a second or so later she was sitting down next to him with the bottle in her hand.

"Round two?" She smiled hesitantly, though for some reason Daryl could tell she had been crying. He suspected she'd remembered Herschel again.

"'Aint you got a headache?" He stood up, not realising he was trying to put space betwen them.

He'd realised his tone was harsh, and Beth wasn't used to harsh words. He'd found this whilst playing 'Never have I ever' when he'd manage to coax her out of her shell by speaking softly, actually listening to what she had to say.

"I just thought-"

"You just thought nothin'. We 'aint drinkin' no more. Drinkin' gets you killed."

And then she flipped.

"You act like I'm a child, Daryl! Well I'm not, I'm eighteen ... Or ... I'm eighteen soon, but either way you have _got_ to stop treatin' me like I'm inferior to you because I'm not! I'm in exactly the same position you are!" She was screeching, something Daryl had never been familliar with, but either way the truth of her outburst hit a nerve.

"You don't know nothin' about me! You don't know what kinda position I'm in! Always, looking out for your sorry ass! You think I want to be stuck here with you of all people?! No! I wanna be back at the prison, where we never spoke!" His words sliced through the air, giving Beth no time to take in what he was saying before he attacked her again. "An' why would I ever talk to a ... A ..." The pace of the onslaught was fast, he stumbled over his words, as he tried to find the right insult. "Snivellin' child?" He spat at her feet and she recoiled defensively.

"Will you stop?!" Beth only glanced at the spit before stepping over it. "Will you stop that?!" Daryl felt the familiar sensation of being shoved and he ground his teeth as she went on the offensive. "Stop makin' out like I don't matter to you!"

He ran his hand over his mouth in an attempt to calm himself down. "You know what, Beth? You 'aint worth it. You 'aint worth shit-" His words were cut short by the groans of a few walkers outside. He lowered his voice and smirked softly at her. "You wanna see how much I care about you?"

**Beth**

"Daryl! Stop, Daryl you're scarin' me!" If he actually heard what she was saying he certainly wasn't take any notice. "Daryl, please!" She dug her feet into the ground as he continued to shove her outside, her pleading had done nothing but draw the walkers towards the two of them, so she tried another tactic. "This is somethin' Merle would do, and you know it!" Her breathing began to hitch as her heart began to pound when he turned to look at her. The thought of Merle had worked.

"Don't you say his name again!" He shoved her away from him and she hit the ground hard.

Beth only had seconds to react before the first snarling set of jaws descended upon her. Her hand shot to her waistband for her knife, it was dark and her aim was poor, but she still manage to drive the knife through one of its eyes. Her breathing ragged, Beth rolled to the side as the next walker threw itself on the ground and began setting after her.

Without bothering to check where the next lot of walkers were Beth scrambled to her feet and began running towards the cabin, before being grabbed around the waist. The grip felt too organised to be a walker, but there was no way she was taking any chances in this proximity, she screamed until a hand clamped itself over her mouth and she frowned. Daryl. He had just left her for dead, yet here he was with his arm around her, holding her close against her.

"Move yourself, Blondie." He shoved her towards the highroad that they had passed the previous day, but rather than go without him she grabbed his hand as she set off so he had to run after her.

Walkers slowly shambled out from the shadows as she ran and her chest heaved, threatening to give out when the glint of a car on the side of the road caught her eye. Without thinking she managed to pull Daryl infront of her, she wasn't deluded into thinking that she could get any part of the car open on her own. Beth thanked her lucky stars as Daryl took off in an extra burst of speed and she squinted as she pumped her arms in the rhythm of her footsteps, she ran towards the car door before Daryl called her back. She hadn't even seen him unlock the trunk.

"In!" He growled and as she clambered inside Beth knew that the trunk was going to be their residence for the next few hours.

They had run a lot faster than she had anticipated as she couldn't see any walkers in close range and she wasn't sure if that made her feel better or worse, but either way she knew they were safe for now.

If Beth thought she was uncomfortbale, Daryl must be in excutiating pain. He'd only just manage to fit himself in the trunk of the car, but Beth assumed he didn't actually realise because he was listening to the sounds from outside.

"Daryl, I-"

"Shuddup!" His whisper was harsh, he didn't sound scared but there was definitely a darker tone of worry set in his voice.

Beth obeyed and watched as he leant his head against the side of the trunk. The front of his hair was stuck to his forehead with sweat he'd mustered from fleeing, his chest heaved slowly and if the walkers outside allowed it he would probably be making audible gasps for breath.  
Beth scanned him quickly, making sure there was no bites when she found his hands.

"Daryl ..." She breathed, not daring to raise her voice above a whisper. They were bloodied and most of the nails on his left hand had been ripped off completely from prying open the trunk lid and when she looked closer she could see a small shake from the his hand. Not knowing what to do, she gently took his in both of hers and bent down gently to kiss the bloodied hand.

**Daryl**

As she kissed his hand he quickly took his right hand to stroke through her hair, before quickly resuming his position against the door.

"Beth?" He whispered.

"Daryl ..." She looked up, she had some of his blood on the corner of her mouth and he swallowed slightly, clearing his throat as quietly as possible.

"You got some ..." He nodded at her face and he swore he saw her face flush red.

Silence.

"Gone?" She leaned closer to him and he couldn't help smirking slightly.

"Gone."

"What did you want to say?"

He licked his lips and inhaled deeply. "Back there ... I'm a better man than I was before, but ... I still got flaws, an' I'd never hurt you ... Not ... Not if I could help it an' ... An' ... It 'aint gonna happen again." He looked at her sincerely and it actually hurt him to see how much trust she put in him.

"Okay." Her doe eyes glistened with tears. _Oh no._

_What you gon'do now, baby brother?_

Daryl inhaled, probably taking in the biggest breath of his life before beckoning her forward and it seemed like she knew exactly what he wanted without him saying anything. She shuffled forward and sat in between his legs and he finally stretched his legs slightly.

He closed his eyes and slowly leaned his forehead on the back of her neck.

"Daryl? We're gonna be okay, you know that?" Her voice was shaking, but his hand was still clasped in hers. He inhaled in response and closed his eyes.

_Darlena, I never thought you had it in you._

Shuddup Merle.

_I'm bein' serious. Who knew my baby brother could score some pussy like that?_

Daryl cringed at his brother's choice of words and inhaled the scent of Beth's hair. It was a mix of blood, sweat and grime yet he found a sweet scent that he reminded him of her room at her farm.

He'd been there when she was on a walk with Lori, he couldn't even remember why he'd been there, considering his camp was farthest out. If he was right in thinking, he'd been searching for something to clean the wound he'd obtained when searching for Sophia with and he supposed he just got curious. Either way, no one knew about his adventures in the Greene household; they'd find it creepy and that wasn't what it was like.

**Beth**

She could feel Daryl inhaling behind her, because her neck was tickled by the hairs that were moved by his breath. She had to admit, this was the first time she'd felt comfortable since the prison attack so she slouched back slightly and Daryl moved his head, to rest it on her shoulder. She was surprised he was being so kind to her now, perhaps it was because he felt bad for using her as walker bait, though Beth liked to think otherwise. She liked to think that Daryl actually did like her, and actually did rescue her at the prison because he wanted her to live, but that simply wasn't realistic.

Beth was thankful Daryl had given her a rag he kept in his back pocket to clean her arms up with, she considered offering back to him for him to clean his hands, but with walker gore all over it she decided against it.

"Are they gone ...?" She whispered after what felt like an eternity.

He hesitated, lifted up the trunk and listened intently before nodding against her shoulder. He got out first, just incase he was wrong and then helped Beth out too.

"Can you teach me?" Beth nodded towards the crossbow, he cocked an eyebrow in response. "I'll take that as a no."

"Take it as a maybe." He nodded once and then set off, following the road. _Didn't he encounter a herd of walkers on a road?_

It seemed as though Daryl had heard her thoughts. "There's a sign. Over there."

"Maybe the others left it for us!" She grinned and mad her way towards the sign.

She was certain it wasn't from the others, all it read was:

**TERMINUS: THOSE WHO ARRIVE, SURVIVE**

**AN- I'm actually rather proud of this chapter. Let me know if you find the Daryl and Merle thoughts too confusing and I'll try to find a way around it, because I've been kind of worried about that.**

**I've really enjoyed writing these chapters, and I hope you've enjoyed reading them.**


	4. Off Its Axis

**AN- Thank you for the three lovely reviews I got, it only inspires me to write faster! This was a tricky one to write as there were about 400 different ways this could have gone, but I like the final version and I hope you do too! A short chapter this time, but perhaps I'll add another later on depending on the reception of this one?**

**Beth**

The search for the rest of the group had turned to weeks and the interaction between herself and Daryl was higher than ever. She stepped lightly across the snow littered ground and made her way towards the growling walker infront of her. Though it's back was facing her and it hadn't caught her scent her heart hammered in her throat, her ears, her chest. Daryl was trusting her with this and she didn't want to let him down, not again.

It had been a week ago, when the festering scabs on his damaged left hand had split open, rendering him unable to use his crossbow and he'd demanded Beth go hunting on her own, much to her dismay. She'd tracked down a deer, much like the one Carl had told her about when she looked after him back on the farm after he'd been shot. Its coat was still shiny and its antlers only had the smallest amount of damage on and it seemed as though its world had only be nudged by the apocayplse whereas hers had been spun off of its axis. Her eyes had strained as she tried to make her mark. Daryl's crossbow was heavy and she still struggled to pull the wire back in order to fix a new arrow into place, the calloused blisters on her hands proved the amount of pain and effort she had put in. She'd been too focussing on the steps Daryl had told her when it happened.

**Step One: **Keep your head clear.  
**Step Two: **Keep your eyes on the prey.  
**Step Three: **Relax and shoot.

Unfortunately for Beth, as she made it to step three a walker gurgled from behind her and rather than move out of the way, she'd grabbed an arrow and drove it into the forehead of the walker, at the time she'd seen this as a great victory until she'd pulled out the arrow and it snapped. The arrow snapped on impact, her heart hammering as she trudged home, deerless and spent the rest of the night making new arrows.

His constant mood swings only made her want to impress him more and she craved his admiration. One second they were happy, laughing and joking as they made their way through the forest together on a mission to herd the rest of the group and the next they were screaming at each other, wishing the other was dead. His violent outbursts had been often too, though to Beth it seemed they were never directly because of something she had done it, had always been when their hands had brushed, or she'd curled up to him when they'd slept. She was surprised to see he never aimed his violence at her, though the abuse that flowed from his mouth had no other target.

As much as she'd had to admit it, Daryl had become a comfort to her. He always made sure she was safe which was more than the whole group had done in the time she had known them, she felt like an afterthought because everyone was too overprotective to let her out of the prison and so she wasn't an active member of the group. Daryl made her work. He'd forced her to start training with the crossbow: "I 'aint gonna be around to help your sorry ass outta a situation all the time time, Princess." Princess was a new nickname he'd given her when they were talking about the things they missed from the normal world, she'd mentioned almost everything from her house whereas Daryl had nothing he missed from his childhood.

The walker infront of her slowly dragged its feet to face her. Its decaying face was rotted on one side, mouth lopsided which Beth had figured out had come to her advantage. She bent her knees as she circled the walker, arm shaking from the weight of the crossbow that was aimed right at its forehead. _Step One: Keep your head clear..._ Beth allowed herself to close her eyes for a split second to let her thoughts dissipate. Her eyes open and her head clear she inhaled deeply. _Step Two: Keep your eyes on the prey... _She was stilled circling the ghoul as it made its way towards her, it didn't seem to notice it was merely lugging itself around a circle. Beth's eyes narrowed as she made for a better aim with the cross bow. _Step Three: Relax and shoot... _Beth stood upright, squaring her shoulders and shot the arrow. It drove itself into the forehead of her target and with a triumphant squeal she pulled the arrow out.

Overall, Beth had managed to shoot three squirrels for herself and Daryl. They were messy shots; not through the eye like Daryl did them, but she was proud all the same.

"Shuddup Merle ..." The smoke from a fire that Daryl had made was swirling into the sky as she got closer, it reminded her of her breath on a cold winter morning as it escaped her mouth. She crept up to a tree and stood behind it. He was talking to Merle ...? The same Merle who was his brother and more importantly, dead?

**Daryl**

"You don't know nothin'" Daryl's voice grew rough as he threw sticks carelessly into the fire. "It 'aint like that ...! Merle, you better shut your goddamn mouth before I do it for- No I 'aint gonna 'score that pussy' I 'aint like that no more! _She _'aint like that! She's ... She's a lady an'... You know what, Merle?! She makes me a better guy! Better than you ever di-" His head snapped round to find the culprit of the sound of a snapping twig. He stood slowly, as though his limbs ached and slowly reached for his crossbow ... The crossbow that he'd let Beth use. Switching tactic, he held the knife on the waistband of his trousers tight as he crept towards the sound in the forest. His expertly trained ears may as well have pricked like a dog hunting prey as he crept towards the sound, his footsteps were light and well placed as he came to a tree. Its bark was decorated with dry blood and the trunk was scuffed to shit.

"What was that about?" Beth's timid voice sounded from behind him and he lowered his heard against the tree.

"You heard that?" The muscles in his jaw tightened as he shook his head. "You heard all of that?"

"I heard enough ..." He could hear her breathing hitch as she spoke and he knew she was afraid, he'd been around her long enough to know when her skin began to prickle or her palms began to sweat.

He whirled round to face her and to his surprise, the crossbow was aimed at him. "It's going down like this then?" He couldn't help but laugh, here he was protecting her ass and making sure she was safe ... Actually caring about her for her to kill him with his own fucking weapon?

"I didn't say that ..." Beth stepped backwards, the look on her eyes was unintelligable.

"Then what are you sayin' Beth?!" His voice grew to a shout as he strode forward, the tip of the arrow less than a centimeter to his face. "Shoot me, Beth! Goddamnit shoot me!" He held her hands over the trigger and closed his eyes and much to his surprise, the shot never came.

"I don't wanna shoot you, Daryl." Her voice hitched in the rhythm of her sobs and head cocked as he opened his eyes.

"Then why the hell is my head in the crosshair?" Daryl stepped closer to her, gently brushing aside the crossbow which fell from her limp hands.

"You ... You were talkin' to yourself and I thought I lost you ... I thought you were goin' to the place Rick went ... When Lori died? Except ... I didn't think you were comin' back..." Daryl instantly regretted standing so close as she closed the space between them. "I lost my Daddy, I lost Maggie and I can't, I _won't _lose you too, Daryl Dixon."

"I 'aint yours to lose." He turned away. "You think I 'aint lost anyone-"

"I know you lost Merle ... I know he was the only person who ever meant a damn to you."

He shook his head and rubbed the side of his chin. "That's where you're wrong, Princess."

Daryl cupped her cheeks in his hands, leaned his forehead against hersand breathed. For the first time since the world went to shit he felt like he was ... Home. The prison was a structure of metal and bricks that provided shelter for him, Beth was where he felt safe. Beth was where he could relax, where he could see a good way out of this hell on Earth. Beth was the light at the end of the dark, endless tunnel filled with the horrors his Father had put him through, filled with the memories of seeing his house burned to ashes and his neighbours looking pitifully at him, filled with the worst part of himself, filled with Merle's existance and filled with the walking dead.

He wasn't sure when it had happened. When he'd first wanted her or when he'd first needed to hold her close and inhaled the scent her milky skin allowed, but he knew that he'd never be alright without her again.

**Beth**

Beth allowed herself to savour this moment because she knew soon Daryl would lose it, but this time it was different, this time she knew why. He cared about her and lusted for her and it was everything she had ever wanted. A smile broke across her lips and she gently rested her hands over Daryl's. She could feel his comfort radiate from him and her eyes slowly closed as they stood there, serene and tranquil.

That evening, as Daryl salavaged the remains of the squirrel she'd hunted Beth carved new arrows to replace those she had lost. Daryl'd taught her how. For someone so rough, he'd sculpted the arrows by graciously carving branches from trees, even the flimsy twigs had served a purpose. As she carved, she glanced at him. His eyebrows were knitted in concentration, delicately plucking out the damaged organs of the squirrels.

"I know I'm pretty, but would'ya quit staring?" Beth could almost hear the smirk in his voice.

"I 'aint ever said you were pretty." She retorted.

Daryl, put his arm around her shoulder and pulled her to him to kiss her head. "You startin' to pick up my accent."

Beth flushed red. This was the most affection he'd ever shown her and she cherished it, there was no way she knew when it would happen again. As he turned away, she held his face and kissed him on the mouth. His lips parted and to her surprise, he returned her kiss. He tasted sweeter than she would have expected and his hands around her waist were as gentle as their kiss. They kissed for a few minutes before he moved his hands from her waist to push lightly against her shoulders, a pained whimper escaped his lips.

"Beth, I can't." He stood with a start and wiped his mouth. Every move he made sent daggers into her heart.

"But you said-"

"I know what I said."

"Then why can't you-"

"Beth. Stop." He picked up his crossbow and started walking away from her.

"Daryl ... Wait!" Beth stood in a hurry and walked after him, determined to salvage whatever she could.

"You're a kid, Beth an' I'm ... I'm not. I'm doin' your Daddy a favour by lookin' after you. I'm not meant to be ... Kissin' you." As Beth looked closer she noticed him tremble, if only slightly.

"I need you Daryl Dixon."

"An' I need you, Beth Greene, but this 'aint the way it's s'posed to be."

**Daryl**

The last time he looked back Beth was stood with her arms limp at her sidesm just staring ahead as if hoping he'd come back and sweep her off of her feet. In another life, maybe he would be the guy she needed and deserved. That kiss was what had decided it. He'd let their relationship evolve, though he was sure she just liked him because she was a hormonal teen and was an older man, chicks loved that.

_You 'aint goin' back for her?_

Why would I?

_You must be more like me than you thought._

I 'aint sayin' it again.

_If you 'aint, then why you just leavin' her by herself?_

I 'aint bein' no perve.

_The world's moved on baby brother. You better catch up._

It was easy now. Daryl could switch off his thoughts like a switch when it came to Merle, the only exception being when he was angry which was a regular occurance. He trudged off into the forest, crossbow in hand. Their kiss still lingered as he ran his thumb over his bottom lip, the way the speed of her breathing synced with his and their breath mangled into one. He inhaled deeply and exhaled, letting the thoughts of Beth Greene flow from his system.


	5. I Love You, Daryl Dixon

**AN- Final Chapter! Thank you so much for the reviews, favourties and follows I received throughout this. I actually have the first few chapters of my next story already written, another Beth/Daryl. Though this one should be **_**a lot **_**longer!**

**Whilst reading through on the preview for the last chapter I noticed so many typos and editing mistakes, so thank you for making it this far. It's been a pleasure to write this story!**

**Beth**

Daryl Dixon had left her to fend for herself and she was furious. Rather than sit down and wait for his hisy fit to end, Beth Greene gathered her knife in her hand and stalked after him. She followed his tracks which were trodden deep into the dirt; clearly couldn't have been too fussed about his tracks if she had managed to find them so easy. she finally spotted him, resting against a tree trunk. He slowly turned to face her as he heard the light steps she took, yet he carried on walking.

"Daryl Dixon, listen to me right now!" Her voice bounced off of the empty trees and she could see Daryl wince.

"I 'aint got to listen to you." He growled as he continued walking.

Beth took the deepest breath of her life and followed him further.

"I love you, Daryl." Beth hadn't even thought of it until the words had tumbled from her mouth. "I love you, Daryl." She said it again to ensure he heard.

He had.

Daryl stopped walking away from her and instead started walking towards her. Beth watched the way his steps were still careful, still planned. A bigger surprise yet, Daryl held her face and kissed her long and hard. Eyes flickering shut, Beth returned his kiss and held his neck softly.

"Let me go ... Find some more wood for a fire. It 'aint safe out there." His voice was hoarse from their kiss and Beth couldn't help smiling.

"I'll keep your things for you?" She smiled and took the knife from his waistband as she unpacked her things again.

"Doesn't look like I got a choice." He smirked and shook his head and went off in the search for wood.

**Daryl**

Beth loved him. Beth Greene loved him. Daryl wasn't sure if this was a good thing, or a bad thing. Probably bad, but he felt as though he deserved to savour it. He'd taken his crossbow with him, though he couldn't use it properly. His hand was aching from the nails that had been torn from his fingers, yet he didn't mind so much.

He felt as though he deserved some pain. The last time he'd felt so ... Alive was when he'd fell on his own arrow whilst looking for Sophia. The danger kept Daryl smart, danger made him feel safer.

Daryl had gotten not a mile away when he'd heard the sound of tyres screeching. Beth had found him next to the highway with the trees behind them, so that must mean ...

Daryl sprinted back towards the sound of the screeching tyres and made his way back to the makeshit camp he and Beth had shared for no less that five minutes. She was gone.

Daryl was consumed in rage. He threw her stupid backpack at the closest thing he could find, which happened to be a tree so minimal damage was done. He had been gone for less than twenty minutes. He had taken his eyes off of her for ... For god knows how long before she was taken from him.

It was funny, during the moment of hysteria the only thing Daryl could think of was a Latin lesson he had attended back when he was a kid, they'd been learning verbs and the only thing that stuck in his head was:

_Abolesco: (v.)_  
_To vanish._


End file.
